Senator Ndume moved to high court to face fresh charges

Senator Ali Ndume (PDP Borno South), who is currently facing charges over his alleged involvement with the extremist Boko Haram sect, has now been moved to the Federal High Court, where he is facing a fresh four-count charge bordering on alleged disclosure of classified information to a terrorist spokesman of Boko Haram, thereby committing an offence contrary to section 3 (b) of the Terrorism Prevention Act 2011.

Mr Ndume was arraigned alongside an ex-spokesperson of the sect, Ali Konduga, at an Abuja Magistrate Court on November 22, over a one-count charge of felony.

But while Mr. Konduga pleaded guilty and begged for leniency, the senator pleaded not guilty.

On Monday, prosecuting counsel, Cliff Osagie, informed the magistrate court that fresh charges similar to the one before the magistrate court had been filed against Mr. Ndume at the Federal High Court.

He therefore applied to withdraw the First Information Report (FIR)  upon which senator was arraigned before the magistrate court. Chief Magistrate Oyebola Oyewumi granted the application.

The magistrate court had earlier today sentenced Mr. Konduga to three-year jail term after he pleaded guilty to felony.

Mr Osagie had told the court that the accused persons conspired to commit felony, breach of official trust, and criminal intimidation by sending anonymous text messages to some senior public officials, including the attorney-general of the federation, contrary to Sections 79, 98 and 398 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC).

The Boko Haram sect has been blamed for scores of attacks, including the August suicide bombing of UN headquarters here, killing 23 people and injuring more than 80 others.